Birds

Birds encountered on Table Mountain and in the Western Cape in general. I am not much of a “twitcher”, and you can well imagine I do not like to remain still for long. But sometimes curiosity gets the better of me, and I need to put a name to a LBJ.

African Black Oystercatcher

African Black Oystercatchers

Haematopus moquini

Oystercatchers mate for life, and can usually be seen in pairs. They are endangered, and care should be taken not disturb them, or trample their nests which are usually found in dunes (one of the reasons vehicles are not permitted on most beaches in South Africa).

They occur quite commonly on both beaches and rocky stretches of the South African coastline.

Cape Rock Thrush

Cape Sugarbird

Cape Sugarbird, Promerops cafer

Promerops cafer

You will see these little guys flitting from protea to protea using their long curved beaks to get to the nectar. The tail of the male bird can reach 3 times its body length, the tail of the female is shorter.

Cardinal Woodpecker

Cardinal Woodpecker, Dendropicos fuscescens

Dendropicos fuscescens

As I guess should be expected, we heard this little guy before we saw him! We followed the incessant tapping and found him drilling away at a tree outside the reception building at Mount Ceder in the southern Cederberg.

He was not timid at all and continued pecking at the wood despite all the noisy activity on the ground below (including people, horses and vehicles).

Common Fiscal Shrike

Lanius collaris

A member of the shrike family found through most of Sub-Saharan Africa. I remember these birds visiting my grandparents garden, and them calling it a Butcher Bird.

We came across one that we assume had found a dead rodent which it was trying to carry across the dirt road, despite it being many times larger than itself. I have since identified the mouse as a Striped Mouse.

Sighting: Matjiesfontein, Cederberg

Jackal Buzzard

Buteo rufofuscus

We regularly see a Jackal Buzzard in the area. They often interact with the Yellow-billed Kites in dramatic aerial displays. We also spotted one whilst horse riding at Mount Ceder.

Unfortunately I do not have a camera capable of taking a shot of one…

Kelp Gull

Kelp Gull, Larus dominicanus

Larus dominicanus

Common scavengers on the coast of South Africa.

Knysna Loerie

Tauraco corythaix

We were welcomed to our Forest Hut at De Vasselot Rest Camp, Nature’s Valley by a couple of Loeries. Unfortunately, they would not play along, and I only managed a shot of one of them hiding in the upper branches of the tree next to the hut.

More recently we had a lovely sighting at the Harkerville Forest during the Hi-Tec Forest Family Hike: we had just headed into the forest when I heard the alarm call and there must have been at least 4 in the tall trees directly above us.

These beautiful birds are most striking in flight when the crimson outer primary feathers under their wings catch the sunlight. They make a surprisingly loud and not particularly beautiful “ko-ko-ko-ko” sound when they are alarmed. They are often seen running along branches from tree to tree in the dense forest canopy.

To really get to see these beautiful birds we recommend a trip to the spectacular Birds of Eden near Plettenberg Bay: whilst seeing them in their natural habitat is a magical experience, getting up close to them is equally amazing!

Orange-breasted Sunbird

Anthobaphes violacea

These colorful little guys can be seen sipping nectar from proteas and pincushions with their delicate, curved bills. Their wings make a distinctive “whirring” sound, and you will often hear them in the fynbos before you see them.

I hope I have identified the juvenile in the photo correctly: I saw her in the company of some adults, and the description matches that given in my bird guide.

Orange-breasted Sunbird

Juvenile-female Orange-breasted Sunbird

Male Orange-breasted Sunbird

Juvenile female Orange-breasted Sunbird

Sightings: Silvermine East; Pipe-track; Kalk Bay Mountains.

Ostrich

Struthio australis

Commercially farmed in South Africa, originally for their plumage but now more importantly for their healthy meat, the ostrich is a fairly common feature of the South African landscape.

As is often the case with bird, the male has showy plumage of black and white which was responsible for a boom in the ostrich industry of Oudtshoorn in a bygone era.

Southern Boubou Shrike

Speckled Pigeon

These large pigeons are a common sight in suburban areas. I had a pair nest on my balcony and before I knew it I was host to a messy, noisy family of four.

Sightings: Cape Peninsula suburbia [October]

Verreaux’s Eagle

Aquila verreauxii

The information below is from the fascinating presentation I attended by Megan Murgatroyd on her Black Eagle Project.

The Black Eagle is now correctly known as Verreaux’s Eagle.

Prey:

Rock hyrax (the Rock hyrax is common prey, and the eagles’ habitat coincides largely with that of the dassie.)

Tortoise (Sandveld)

Mongoose

Mole rats

Breeding habits:

10 month process, meaning they can breed every year in good habitat

nest-building can start early February

can build more than 1 nest a year

2 eggs are laid in a clutch from mid-May to Mid-July

40 – 45 days incubation period

male and female incubate

they are used to hunting in pairs, so must adapt to hunting alone while partner incubates

also hatch 2 days apart: this results in a Cain / Abel scenario, where Cain will usually kill Abel (this is some kind of insurance policy ensuring the survival of at least one chick)

chick = 100 grams

90-95 days before flight

after 2 or 3 months the young eagle is forced to leave area by parents

There is a long history of breeding pairs on the Peninsula. Currently there is one successful pair in Silvermine area, using the same nest since 2005.

Whitebreasted Cormorant

Whitebreasted Cormorant, Phalacrocorax africanus

Phalacrocorax africanus

Spotted this fellow alongside the walkway between Muizenberg and St. James.

Yellow-billed Kite

Milvus aegyptius

We see lots of these beautiful birds on the farm up the West Coast. At first I battled to identify them as from a distance I could not see the fork in the tail. The kite flies with a distinctive loose tail movement — the tail swivels quite freely and quickly — but the identification was only confirmed when I got to see a bird a bit closer and finally saw the fork in the tail.

It’s bill is entirely yellow, it has yellow legs and chocolate-brown feathers.

Yellow-billed Kite, Milvus aegyptius

Yellow-billed Kite, Milvus aegyptius

Yellow-billed Kite, Milvus aegyptius

One of the dogs caught a small mouse, but because he had most of his teeth kicked out by a horse, he had no real way of killing it, so I despatched the little guy, and threw his body into the paddock. We then noticed a kite zoning in on the paddock, so I got my camera out and tried to take some shots.